Tile laying apparatus



April 17, 1956 CRAWFORD TILE LAYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 17, 1953 April 17, 1956 A. CRAWFORD 2,742,003

TILE LAYING APPARATUS Filed June 17, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ;QLB'EQT CZAWFORD lu nag-d! i E33 Iiflili 381i liliaglmwlmui Iifl a Iv 7 91 g hill-8. Illa United States Patent 2,742,003 TILE LAYING APPARATUS Albert Crawford, Wauseon, Ohio Application June 17, 1953, Serial No. 362,227

A ll Claims. (Cl. 111-5 This invention relates to drain-tile laying mechanism.

An object of this invention is to provide a trench digging apparatus incorporating tile laying mechanism therewith, which mechanism trails the trench digging apparatus to lay tile in the trench directly following the digging of the trench.

Another object of this invention is toprovide a trench digging apparatus embodying means for excavating a secondary trench along the bottom of a primary trench, which secondary orsub-trench serves as a guide for tile laid along the bottom of the primary trench.

Another object of this invention is to provide an articulated tile laying apparatus, which apparatus includes a traveling extension in a formed-trench and automatically deposits tile elements in a continuousline along the bottom of the trench.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tile laying apparatus for depositing individual tile units along the bottom of a trench and to shift each succeeding tile into abutment with the preceding laid tile.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tile laying apparatus which receives its operating power by the gravity weight of the tile. 9

And another object of this invention is to provide meansfor laying tile units by gravity along the bottom of a trench and to adjustably control the speed of the delivery of the tile units.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to the arrangement, operation and functions of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction, to combination of parts and to economies of manufacture, will .be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification Whereinlike reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views. l

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l isa side elevation of a trench digging apparatus having the tile laying apparatus of the invention herein incorporated therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of an excavating bucket having a sub-trench excavating element mounted thereon;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a trench excavated by the apparatus herein disclosed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the tile laying apparatus embodying the invention herein, parts being in section; and

Fig. 5 is a view on the line VV of Fig. 4.

The invention herein is a tile laying apparatus which may be attached to a trench digging apparatus embodying a rotating wheel 10, carrying an endless series of excavating buckets 12, which is driven from a suitable, source of power mounted on a tractor 14. This type of trench digging apparatus is well known and embodies power units driving the tractor, the excavating wheel and earth handling conveyors, aswell as other apparatus C 2,742,003 Patented Apr. 17, 1956 2 incorporated therein to'excavate a continuing trench 16 along a predetermined course.

The buckets 12,,in rotating, scoop earth from the ground to deliver the same to conveying mechanisms, which in turn cast the earth in a mound along the side of trench 16, which earth is later used for refill. The excavating buckets 12 are usually arcuate in cross-sectional form with a designed cutting lip 18 about the open end thereof to form a scoop construction which will excavate a trench 16 having a predetermined cross-sectional contour as determined by the lip 18. In operation, a series of these excavating buckets dig a continuous trench 16 to a predetermined depth for which the mechanism is set, which trench 16 usually has a fiat bottom 20. In the invention herein it is desired to excavate a subtrench 22 continuously along the bottom 20 intermediate the sides 24 of the trench. To this end a tooth 26 is attached to some of the buckets 12, which tooth may comprise a solid metallic block welded onto the edge 18 of the exterior of the bucket. This tooth is preferably attached in alignment with the center plane of the bucket to have tine portion 28 extend outwardly beyond the edge 18.

Thus, in the digging or excavating by the buckets, this tooth 26, 28, will cut a narrow sub-trench 22 in the central line of the bottom 20 of the primary trench 16. This secondary trench is usually of a width somewhat less than the diameter of the tile to be laid in the trench, and the tile may be laid by hand along such sub-trench, which sub-trench serves as a positioning means to align individual tile units into a continuous duct. However, it is the purpose of this invention to have the tile units laid automatically by the mechanism herein disclosed, which mechanism immediately follows the excavating wheel and places the tile in the trench ready for covering by the earth excavated in forming the trench.

The trench digging apparatus is provided with a supplemental frame structure 30 extending from the tractor 14, mounting a pair of spaced side plates 32, which serve as barriers against earth falling into the tile laying apparatus positioned therebetween. This tile laying apparatus is an articulated trailing extension traveling in the formed trench 16 directly behind the trench forming wheel 10, and theframe 30, being an integral part of the tractor frame is automatically properly positioned behind the excavator regardless of the depth of cut for forming the trench.

Supplemental frame 30 includes a block 34 providing a base for a pivotal mounting 36 for vertical element 38. At the lower end of this element 38 there is provided a bearing 40 for shaft 42, mounting a pair of sprockets 44. The upper end of the element 38 mounts a bearing 46 for a shaft 48, in turn mounting a pair of sprockets 50. The sprockets 44, 50 carry a pair of chains 52, which interconnect by pins 54 to, provide an endless belt conveyor 56. Mounted on the conveyor 56 is a series of L -shaped brackets or rack elements 58 each pivotally attached to the chains at the junction between the major arm portion 60 and the minor arm portion 62 thereof. These rack elements are journalled and as carried about the sprockets 44, 50, rock by gravity on their pivotal mountings, so that in the descending reach of the. conveyor, the arm 6 0 extends perpendicularly after the other on the succeeding arms 60, the loading preferably being adjacent the top of the conveyor. The

, weight of these tile elements cause the extended arms to descend to the lowermost extent of the conveyor adjacent the bottom of the trench, at which position they are slipped from the supporting arms into pipe line form ing position. The mechanism for sliding the tile from the supporting arms 60 is operated by the conveyor which is driven by being weighted with tile. j

The apparatus may be loaded from a truck carrying a supply of tile elements driven along beside the excavator as the excavator moves across the land. One operator may take the tile elements from the supply and slip them, one after another, on to each succeeding arm 69 as it falls into tile receiving position after being swung over the sprocket 50., As these arms are swung under the sprocket 44 to move upwardly with the upwardly moving reach of the conveyor, the arms 60 fall into a close relationship with the upwardly moving conveyor reach. In their upward travel, these arms engage trigger 66 and rock such triggers on fulcrum mounting S. This imparts a swinging to depending arms 70, the lower ends of which arms have pushers or kick-off arms 72 pivotally connected therewith. r

The pivots 68 are mounted on extensions of the supplemental frame 38 and reinforced by struts 74. As the upwardly moving reach of the conveyor swings the trigger 66, such motion is transferred through the arms 72 to fingers 76, which contact the end of tile element 64 on the lowermost supporting arm 60. Movement of these fingers 76 push the tile elements from the arm 60, and the speed of the moving excavator is timed to this movement so that the succeeding tile elements 64 are brought into abutting alignment to provide a pipe line along the bottom of the trench 20, and the sub-trench 22 further aids in this alignment.

In normal practice it is unnecessary to impart any further attention to the tile elements, and such may be immediately covered for burial as a pipeline. The operator loading the tile elements onto the device is in a position to give sufficient attention to the laid tile, so that if there should be any misalignment develop due to said conditions, such can be immediately corrected. The fingers 76 coact to firmly abut each succeeding tile element into the developing line. As the arm 60 moves upwardly, it slides clear of the trigger 6 6, and engages a second trigger 78, which has a pivotal mounting 80 on the frame 30, and has a spring connection 82 with the trigger 66. As the trigger 78 is rocked, the compression strength of the spring 82 is built up and finally overcomes the static disposition of the trigger 66 and snaps such trigger 66 back to its original position. This in turn withdraws the fingers 76 backwardly toward the support 38 and into position to shift the succeeding tile element. A roller bearing 84 is provided for the arms 72, which roller bearing may be mounted on a lower portion of the support elements 38.

It will be noted the stack of horizontally disposed arms 60 are loaded with tile during the machine operation. This exerts a force for a continuing movement of the conveyor 56 so that as soon as one tile has been laid in the bottom of the trench, its carrying arm 60 will immediately start to be Withdrawn therefrom and to rock on its pivot mountings 54 to clear the tile setting mechanism, which includes the kickolf element 72 and the tile engaging fingers 76. Each subsequent tile supporting element is thus rocked clear of the tile setting elements, dropping to be drawn therebeneath and subsequently upwardly therethrough. The arms upon leaving the set tile following its ejection therefrom, freely slide beneath the conveyor, and due to the greater weight of the arms 60 than the integral leg portion 62, such tile mounting units freely rock in their initial ascent to swing thearms 60 in position to engage the trigger 66. The time extent of the engagement with the trigger 66 allows the kickoff to operate and permit the tile mounting arm to be freely withdrawn clear of the tile and swing clear of the kickoff for the following cycle of operation. V I

Adjacent the sprocket 50 a chain drive 85 from shaft 48 operates a sprocket 86, which operates a hydraulic pump element 88. This pump element 88 has a restricted duct 90 from the pump outlet back to the pump inlet so that the rotation of the sprocket 86 can be adjustably restricted by inserting a valve therein, which in turn restricts the travel of the conveyor. Therefore, regardless of the number of tiles on theconveyor, the speed of the descent can be nicely controlled so that there is no piling up of tile within the trench, and the timing is adjusted so that the tiles are laid end to end, timed with the excavating capacity of the wheel 10. V

The pivotal mount 36 provides for any deviation from straight line trench excavation, and adds to the flexibility of the entire laying unit. The unit directly following the excavating process may lay the tile as rapidly as the trench is prepared, which timing may be restricted only by the character of thesoil and depth of the trench.

It is to be understood that the above description of the present invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to those skilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed as limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used in the specification relating to the operation and function of the elements of the invention is employed for purposes of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the following claims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and desired to secure by United States Letters Patent: 7

1. A carrier, trench forming means mounted by said carrier, a trailing extension from said carrier traveling in the trench formed thereby, an endless conveyor mounted on said extension disposed in a substantially vertical position, racks on said conveyor, said conveyor racks adapted to receive tile elements above the trench, the weight of said elements driving said conveyor by gravity to lower said elements into the trench, means coacting with said conveyor to govern the speed of its movement relative to the carrier, and means operated by said conveyor for removing the said elements into a line along the bottom of said trench.

2. A carrier, trench forming means mounted on said carrier, a trailing extension from said carrier traveling in the trench formed thereby, an endless conveyor mounted on said extension in a substantially vertical position and having an ascending reach and a descending reach, tile supporting arms pivotally mounted on said conveyor, said arms perpendicularly extending from said descending reach and swingable to lie along said ascending reach, said perpendicularly extending arms adapted to receive tile elements, which elements by their weight operate said conveyor, means for shifting the tile elements from said arms as the arms approach their lowermost position, and means operable by the ascending arms to operate said tile shifting means. v

3. In a tile laying apparatus, a vertically positioned endless conveyor, means for operating said conveyor along a trench with the lower end of said conveyor traveling adjacent the bottom of said trench and the upper end thereof spaced above said trench, a series of arms carried by said conveyor, said arms pivotally attached to said conveyor and swung to extend outwardly from said conveyor on its descending reach and swingable against said conveyors ascending reach, said outwardly extending arms adapted to receive tile elements, which elements by their weight drive said conveyor to deliver said tile elements in a series along the bottom of said trench, mechanism for shifting said tile elements from the arms adjacent the lowermost extent of said descending reach, and means for operating said shifting mechanism actuated by the ascending reach of said conveyor.

4. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said shifting mechanism operating means embodies a trigger engageable by an ascending arm, a lever swingable by said trigger, and a slide horizontally shiftable by said lever.

5. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said shifting mechanism operating means includes a first trigger engageable by an ascending arm, a lever swingable by said trigger, a slide shiftable by said lever, a second trigger engageable by said ascending arm, and means coacting between said triggers to reset said first trigger.

6. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein a sprocket engages the said conveyor, a hydraulic pump operable by said sprocket, and a restricted fluid flow to and from said pump retarding the speed at which said sprocket may operate the pump.

7. The structure set forth in claim 3 wherein said means for shifting said tile from the arms includes a slide embodying a pair of independent fingers engaging one end of said tile at opposing positions.

8. The structure set forth in claim 1 wherein said trailing extension is pivotally attached to said carrier to pro vide an articulated connection therebetween.

9. A carrier, trench forming means mounted on said carrier, a trailing extension from said carrier traveling in the trench formed thereby, said trailing extension embodying a supplemental frame mounting a pair of superimposed shafts, a pair of sprockets on each shaft, a pair of endless chains about said sprockets providing a vertical movable conveyor having an ascending and a descending reach, tile receiving arms pivotally attached to said conveyor to extend perpendicularly from the descending reach and swingable against the ascending reach, means operable by said conveyor to shift tile from said perpendicularly extending arms as said arms approach their lowermost position, and means eoacting with said conveyor restricting the speed thereof.

10. Tile laying apparatus embodying a vertically disposed endless conveyor having an ascending reach and a descending reach, arms pivotally attached to said conveyor extending perpendicularly from said conveyor along the descending reach and swingable against the conveyor along the ascending reach, said arms adapted to be loaded with tile elements adjacent the top of said descending reach, the weight of said tile driving said conveyor to carry the tile to the bottom of said conveyor, and means operated by said conveyor movement for removing said tile from the arms as said tile approaches the lowermost extent of said descending reach.

11. The structure set forth in claim 10 wherein said conveyor includes an endless chain and means coacting with said conveyor restricting the speed at which said conveyor may be driven by the weight of said tile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 332,126 White Dec. 8, 1885 895,439 DeYoung Aug. 1], 1908 1,356,426 Bramer Get. 19, 1920 1,927,323 Penote Sept. 19, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 358,469 Great Britain Sept. 29, 1931 

